Cast of Passions
by Katie9431
Summary: Elena Stefan and Damon are all actors on the popular TV show, "The Ghost Journals," but as the three of them become closer, who can tell the difference between real emotions, and acting? Mostly Damon/Elena, and later rated M for... good reasons ;D!
1. Welcome to Hollywood, Now Don't Screw Up

Chapter 1: Welcome to Hollywood, Now Don't Screw Up

_Elena, Stefan, and Damon are all actors on the popular TV show, "The Ghost Journals," but as the three of them become closer, who can tell the difference between __**acting**__ in love, and __**being**__ in love? What emotions are real, and what are not? Damon/Elena mostly. Rated M later on for… good reasons!_

_

* * *

_

"That will be $7.50 please." Elena said, plastering a grin on her face. She hated her job. No, she _despised_ her job. She never thought at nineteen she would be stuck working at the local drugstore. When she was younger she always pictured herself at nineteen sitting in some café, sipping on a cappuccino, as she worked on her thesis. Why _wouldn't_ she go to college? She got good grades, was involved in school activities, and she volunteered. Her dad was a doctor, so money wasn't the issue. She never imagined she would be stuck as a cashier.

_Shut up. YOU chose this. And it was the right thing to do, at least Jer will have an education. _

It had all changed two years ago, when her dad was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS). Her mom took him to every doctor in the country as she made him try all different treatments, but nothing helped. As he got worse, and couldn't use his hands anymore, he had to stop working. Her mother never worked, so they had to rely on their savings. But her mom became so obsessed with trying to cure him, as many women in love would do, she started spending _all_ their money on various medicines. By the time it was August, and Elena was preparing to head off to college, she realized that their money was half gone. She could have left anyway, but that would mean her younger brother Jeremy wouldn't be able to attend college at all. Plus, her mother was a wreck, and she couldn't leave her at that time. So Elena chose to take a year off, and use her college fund on Jeremy instead. He was now at Boston College, costing them a good $50,000 a year.

_I'll go next year. Mom will be okay. She, she has to be. And Dad, he'll pull through. He always does. He has to…_

She was so lost in her own world that she didn't notice the man on the other side of the counter staring at her. He stepped back, and squinted his eyes at her, shaking his head in confusion.

"Um, that's still $7.50 please." Elena said, tilting her head in puzzlement. He moved back up to counter, and leaned over to read her nametag.

"Elena? That's a beautiful name." He gave her a small smile, but she could tell from the way he was literally bouncing on his feet that he was _really_ happy about something.

"Oh, thank you. My mom says it means, 'light.'"

"And I have seen the light!" He cried jumping up, scaring her. He leaned across the counter again, and stuck out his hand. "My name is Kevin Williamson. Can I ask you a question?"

Elena slowly stuck out her hand too, her eyes narrowed. "Sure." She wasn't sure what to make of him. _What could he possibly want to ask me!_

"Have you ever acted before?"

She burst out laughing, but stopped once she saw he was serious. She cleared her throat and replied, "Well, a little in high school. I don't think I'm very good at it…why?"

He shook his head. "That's fine, that's fine. I'm producing this new show on The CW. We just started casting, but it's no luck. All the girls on the same. We haven't gotten very far so I came down here to Mystic Falls since I have family an hour away. I didn't think it would be a big deal to leave honestly. Up until ten minutes ago I didn't think the show ever would even air. But then I saw _you_, and I realized you're exactly what we're looking for."

She burst out laughing again, clutching her stomach trying to catch her breath. Was this guy serious? "Okay, okay, who put you up to this?"

"No! No! I'm serious! I'm not saying you have the part, but you need to at least audition. You would be _perfect_. You have a great body, but you aren't sickly thin. You have great eyes and hair. And you have this warmth about you, this sweetness, and yet this toughness. You _are_ the lead girl."

Elena stared back at him, shocked and confused at the same time. She couldn't tell if he was crazy or not. "Thank you for, erm, saying that, but I just can't go off to Hollywood. How do I know that you won't try to rob me? Kidnap me? I have no idea who you are!" She cried out, her hands unintentionally raising up.

"No, you're right. I would be creeped out too if I was you." Kevin chuckled before continuing. "Okay listen, how about if I book you a seat on the next flight to L.A., _and_ I won't even be on it. I'll rent you a room at a hotel, where you will have both the keys. I'll give you the address to where we're holding auditions, and you can choose to go or not. If you don't, think of it just as a nice weekend vacation. But please, please go."

She stepped back, her hand lightly tapping her chin.

_I mean, I always wanted to act, but I don't know, how do I know this is legit? I mean, what he's saying makes sense. And I can choose when I get there…I've never been to L.A. before…._

Elena took a deep breath and stuck out her hand, "You've got yourself a deal."

* * *

Elena lied down on the bed. The room was incredible. She was right in the middle of the city, the view from her window allowing her to see everything. Her king size bed was on the left side of the room, while the mini kitchen and living room were right across on the other side. The wet bar, yes, _wet bar_, was by the bathroom door, where the Jacuzzi bathtub, which came equipped with eight different types of bubble baths, sprawled out in all its glory. When she had arrived, all dazed and confused, she hailed a cab to where the hotel was; amazed that this was actually happening. As she checked in, the women said Kevin even left her with spending money to enjoy the town with!

_I don't care that Mom says this is all a scam! This is freakin __**mind-blowing!**_

The audition wasn't until 2:30, which she decided on the plane was defiantly gonna go to. Why not? If she didn't get the part, at least she could say she tried.

_And come on, I'm so not getting it. Being Abigail in __The Crucible__ and Juliet in __Romeo and Juliet __doesn't prove I can actually act. Mystic High is so small, and barely anyone had tried out! But God, if I do get it…._

She sat up and shook her head. She wouldn't allow herself to daydream about landing the role. If she did, she would play up the whole thing in her head, and when she didn't get it, she would be devastated.

She sighed and stood up, walking over to pour herself a coke. Guzzling it down, she could feel how tired her body was. She hadn't slept hours, the excitement coursing through her veins keeping her up. She checked her watch, and figured if she slept for a good thirty minutes, she would have two and a half hours to go over her lines again and still be able to do her hair and makeup really well.

She ran back and jumped on her bed, the mattress forming around her body as she settled down.

_This is so nice. So comfortable. I could stay here forever…._

_I could stay here forever…wow. Sleeping for only twenty minutes can do wonders! God, I feel so much better! _She thought as she stretched, her eyes fluttering open. She looked at the ceiling, loving the tiny roses painted across. They were so pretty, each one being a different color. She turned and snuggled into her pillow, her eye catching the number "two" on the digital clock by her bedside table.

_Yeah, maybe I should paint roses on my walls back home. Yeah! That would look so nice I could-_

Her eyes snapped back to the clock. It was 2:16. She had overslept. Her audition was in fourteen minutes, and was still in the jeans and shirt that she wore on the plane. Her hair was messed up from sleeping, her breath probably smelled, and her mascara was smudged under her eye. She hadn't even memorized all her lines year. The audition was now in thirteen minutes.

Without thinking, she jumped up and sprinted to her cell phone lying on the kitchen table. She called the number Kevin had left for cab company, and they said they would be there in two minutes, but it would take at least twenty to get to the building because of the traffic.

_Okay! Okay that's fine! That's okay…that's good still… that's, that's SHIT!_

She ran into the bathroom, splashing water on her face. She rubbed the dried on make up off, and ran a brush through her hair. She was wearing a purple long sleeved shirt, jeans, and converses. She wouldn't be able to pick one of the six outfits she had bought strictly for the audition in time. Well she could, if she wanted to smell bad.

She debated back forth quickly what would be worse, and decided on freshening up. Slapping on deodorant and perfume, she squeezed out four times more toothpaste ever needed on her toothbrush, stuck it in her mouth, grabbed the sides for the part, and ran out of the room. She took the stairs two at a time, and got outside just as the cab pulled up.

Throwing the door open, and flying in, she said with her toothbrush still sticking out, "DRIVE!"

They were off. Elena had to swallow the toothpaste, the taste making her gag. Pushing back her hair, she skimmed over the lines again. She would be reading for seventeen-year-old Nina, who was stuck in a deadly love triangle with two ghost brothers, Ian and Paul, in the show, "The Ghost Journal."

_Bla bla bla, okay I got to act confused here, mad here. I got to remember I'm still sad from the death of my grandparents. Okay, okay, I live with my uncle. Oh God, I'm never gonna be able to act all this out! If I can even remember what to say!_

It was 2:50 when they got there, taking longer than expected. As she ran into the tall brown and black building, men and women of all different shapes, sizes, and races stood in line. Some were talking, while others mouthed words to themselves, mentally preparing themselves for their audition. She stood there for a moment, not knowing if she should wait in line, or cut ahead since she was supposed to be there twenty minutes ago.

She was just about to turn around and leave, upset by the whole thing, when a bubbly woman with blonde hair walked over, and said, "Are you Elena Gilbert?"

"Yeah, I mean yes. Yes I am." She smiled weakly, a sheepish look plastered on her face.

The woman clapped her hands, her eyes lighting up. "I see what Kevin meant by you now! You look just like the girl we wrote about! I'm Julie by the way, you're lucky I was just chatting with the receptionist as you walked in, or we would have missed you!"

"I'm so, so sorry. I overslept because, well I hadn't even slept in hours, and I had it all planned out to be her on time, but I'm just so-"

Julie waved her hand, dismissing the whole thing. "It's fine, I'm just sure Kevin will be ecstatic that you showed up! Come on, follow me." She turned and walked over to the elevators across the room, beckoning Elena to join her.

She could feel the eyes of all the others on her, but she kept staring straight ahead. Julie kept talking about the role as they traveled up, and walked to the room, but Elena just kept saying her lines over and over again in her head. Her heart wouldn't slow down. She could feel her body shake with every breath she took, just waiting to go into cardiac arrest.

They finally stopped at two big, glass doors; the letters "C" and "W" written on each one. Julie pushed them open, but Elena hesitated for a second, before following in. The room was fairly large, with a table at the back and the rest just open space. Sitting at the table was Kevin and two other people, one man and one woman, both whom Elena never saw before. As she walked in, Kevin slapped one person's arm and pointed at her, the guy shrugging his shoulders, not impressed. This only made her more nervous and less confident.

Kevin got up and ran to give her a hug. "Thank you for coming Elena!"

"Of, of course." She said quietly into his arms.

"You know that you aren't guaranteed the part just because Kev flew you in, right?" said the other guy sitting behind the table, his eyes hidden behind huge black sunglasses.

"Of, of course." Elena said again, her body visible shaking as Kevin walked back to take his seat next to the others.

"Oh stop, she knows that. And it isn't like we have had much luck with anyone else." Kevin said, eyeing the guy.

"Did you just wake up or something? You're clothes are all dishelmed dear." Said the other woman there (with a British accent), as she slightly shook her head."

"Um, see I over-"

The sunglasses man shook his head, his light brown hair moving side to side. "Whatever. So here's the deal. I'll be reading Paul's lines, and you just do your thing okay? We're doing a scene that is later on in the show, when Nina decides to still remain with Paul even though she realized he's a ghost. It's a pretty epic moment, so do it right. That's if, you know how what to even do."

"I _know_ how to act." Elena said coolly, a smidge of anger rising up within her. Julie raised her eyebrows and smirked, but remained quiet.

"Okay…let's begin then." He cleared his throat, and then said in a deep voice. "Nina, I can't offer you anything. You know what I am, you know the truth now."

"Paul," she said, shaking her head. "You don't need to offer me anything. All I need is you. Don't you see? I thought I couldn't do any of this. I thought I couldn't be with you, but I can." She smiled, her eyes looking up. "I thought I wouldn't be able to handle this, but I _can_. I can't change the way I feel about you, and I just want, I just need, to be with you."

"But I can't be with you. Too much has happened, many people have died because of me, because of Ian. I'm sor-."

"No." She said, tears filling up her eyes. "Please, you don't have to push me away. There is good and bad in the world Paul, and you are _good_. What I feel about you, is real, and it won't ever change. Don't do this."

"I'm sorry." He said, but more softly now.

"No!" She cried, tears flowing freely now, "Wait!"

That was the end of the scene, but all four people were quiet.

_Oh no, I totally messed up. Dammit, shit, dammit, I thought, I don't know what I thought._

"Do you have a tissue?" Elena said, using her arms to wipe away the tears.

"You can have whatever you want…Nina." The sunglasses man said, putting down the sides he was holding.

"Wha-what?" Elena said, looking up confused.

Kevin fist pumped into the air. "YES! I KNEW IT!"

"You mean, I got the part?" She looked from Julie who was laughing, Kevin was who shouting, the British woman who was scratching her head, and the sunglasses guy who looking shocked.

"HELL YEAH YOU DID!" Cried sunglasses guy first. All four of them were talking at once, trying to figure out what to do next.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Asked Elena, feeling so overwhelmed. Her heart was still beating a mile a minute, but she wanted to scream until her lungs gave out. She did it. She got the part!

It was everyone else's turn to look around confused, but Elena just smiled shyly, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "We need to cast Ian and Paul."

* * *

Damon and Stefan walked into the building, both grinning. Damon knew they could both land the lead roles; they would make the perfect brothers on TV since they already were so close. As he closed the door behind him, he felt something in the air. If he got this part, it would change his life…forever.

* * *

_So what does anyone think? Good, bad? Please, please review! I don't know if I should continue or not!_


	2. Chemistry is a Tough Subject

Chapter Two: Chemistry is a Tough Subject

Elena sat back in the white folding chair and groaned, tiredness seeping through her. She reached down under the seat and grabbed a half full bottle of water. Chugging it down, she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, wishing the day was over already.

After she signed the contracts, and shook the hands of the CW reps, they started immediately trying to cast Ian and Paul. That was five days ago, and so far it had been disastrous. She lost count after a hundred and four guys. Stupid sunglasses guy, whose name she discovered was Rudd, got so frustrated that he said Elena could only ever find chemistry with a rock! When Kevin, who was still happy that Elena was even on board, asked him if he wanted someone to go out and actually find a rock, Rudd threw up his hands and stormed out.

_Bullshit, it's not MY fault! Just all these guys, they're all just so stiff. The closest we got was that guy Matt, but he was cast as Zach. He was sweet, but if we were to play love interests I don't think anymore would have believed it. Ugh, will we ever find an Ian and Paul!_

The chemistry would have to be _perfect_ between _both_ boys. While the character of Nina fell in love with Paul first, she later would also be involved with Ian. She even asked Kevin and Julie, whom she had grown quite close to in the short time, who Nina would end up with, but neither of them knew. They said she would definitely be spending a lot of quality of time with both boys in season one though.

_I really hope there are no make out scenes, that would be really bad since-_

Just as these thoughts raced through her head, she could hear Rudd (who had come back the next day) calling her back into the room.

Elena groaned again, and slowly stood up. She loved to act, but doing the same scene with so many guys became so tedious, so fast. She threw out the empty water bowl before she reentered the room, and braced herself for whoever was next.

Pushing open the huge, "C" and "W" doors, she saw a redheaded guy leaning against the table where Julie, Kevin, Rudd, and the British woman (whose name she could never make out) sat. Elena timidly walked by him to sit down at her place at the table, but the guy turned and stuck out his hand.

"Hey! Congrats on landing Nina. I heard they went through tons of girls before you, but you were the best." He had a nice, casual smile that matched his nice, casual Capri's.

"Oh, thanks." She smiled back. He was pretty cute, she wasn't going to lie about that. "Who are you auditioning for?"

"Ian. God, I really hope I get it! I have been practicing these lines for days." He chuckled, before winking at Julie.

"Good luck! You'll do great, I'm sure." Elena replied back, walking around the table to take her seat.

"Okay now, Adam," Rudd said, picking up his copy of the sides. "You're going to first do a scene by yourself, with Julie reading as Nina, and then you and Elena will do a scene together. Got it champ?"

_I think Rudd only must hate me, he is so nice to everyone else! "Okay" "Okay" does he ever say anything else? Stupid Rudd…_

Adam had already begun as she had ranted on in her head. His eyes were focused behind them, but she could feel his passion. He really, really, wanted this part. She sort of zoned him out, but she knew he had acting talent.

"Okay great!" Rudd exclaimed, giving him a thumbs up. "Actually, can you just wait outside for one second? I need to go over something real quick, okay?"

"Yeah sure!" Adam said, walking out and closing the doors behind him.

The second he did Rudd turned to everyone and whispered, "I think we might have found Ian, or maybe Paul. He was really, really good."

"Yeah," Kevin said, flipping through a stack of papers. "Elena what do you think?"

"Um yeah, he did a really cool job." She said, looking at the doors.

"Listen Elena, try not to screw this one up, okay?" Rudd said, directing his sunglassed face towards her.

"What? I haven't meant to screw any of this up! I can't help-" She started to shout, but Julie cut her off.

"No Rudd, she's right. It has to be right, and none of these guys have been _it_ so far. It's no one's fault." She winked at Elena, flooding her heart with appreciation.

"Whatever, okay, let's just do this, okay?" They called Adam back in, and Elena stood up to join him.

"_Okay," "Okay," "OKAY," Shut up Rudd! Ugh!_

Adam smiled weakly at her, not knowing whether they had discussed his audition in a good or bad way. She tried to give him an encouraging smile, but she wasn't sure if he got the point.

Taking a deep breath, she started the scene. "You and I…we have something."

But they didn't. Despite that they both acted the scene out very well, there was absolutely no chemistry between them. She felt so bad since she knew how badly he wanted this job too. Kevin and Rudd shook his hand, saying he did a great job, but Adam knew he wouldn't get the part.

As he walked out, Elena followed him and took his arm as the doors closed behind them. "I'm so, so sorry. You truly were great you know."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Thanks, but come on, we both know I'm no way in hell gonna get it."

"There'll be something else?" She said it more as a question by mistake, regretting the infliction her voice had took.

"Actually, I have another audition today, for some other show, "The Covert Square"? Maybe that will be more successful."

"Yeah!" Elena said, fist pumping once into the air. She was over doing it with enthusiasm, but she couldn't help it. "Good luck!"

He smiled once more and walked away, leaving Elena in the hallway. She could hear the voices from inside shouting at each other, most likely about her.

_God, I hope they don't fire me. It's only been a week and my job already might be gone. This sucks. Jer will never let me live this down…_

She sunk down to the ground and rested her head in her hands. She felt like it was all her fault; no actors had any chemistry with her. What was wrong with her? It was like she just wasn't compatible with anyone. Just like high school, just like before. She was going to lose her job, and all would be finished. Her life sucked, her life was horrible, her life-

"Hey, are you okay?"

_I swear if anyone ever says "okay" again I'm gonna freakin tear their…_

She looked up to see a…Greek God standing above her.

He had flowly black hair, with blue eyes that were brighter than anything she had ever seen before in her life. He wore jeans and a tight black tee shirt, with a leather jacket casual draped on his long, slender, muscular frame. Anyone could tell how fit he was by the muscles that were trying to break free of his shirt. He was looking down at her with a half worried, half bemused look on his face.

Elena's mouth almost dropped, she had never seen anyone this gorgeous before. She had seen hundreds of actors over the last week, and no one was anywhere near as good looking as him.

She quickly sprung up from the ground, brushing off imaginary dirt from her shirt. Her heart was pounding, but she said coolly, "Yeah…it's just been a rough day."

"I overheard you talking to that guy in the hallway, I'm guessing he isn't having a great day either." He smirked while a low chuckle escaped his mouth.

Elena gave him a half smile and replied, "Yeah, I guess not. You just have no idea how hard it is to talk to someone for only one minute, and then decide if you guys have an undeniable 'chemistry' or not." She used her fingers to air quote "chemistry," as she shrugged.

"'Chemistry,"' He copied her by doing fake air quotes too, "is something you have with someone, or you don't. It's there from the start, or it will never be there."

He moved closer to her, so that he was only an inch or two away from her lips. "Let's take you and me." Her breathing hitched up, not knowing what to do, but he continued, "Would you say there is chemistry between the two of us…or not?"

She stared right back into his eyes, her heart pounding. She pursed her lips, opening them slightly back to respond, when the door suddenly opened.

"Oh…Elena. I see you met the next person already." Kevin's voice said, but she still was looking back at the man. "You guys wanna come in, or just stand there?"

The guy stepped back, and gave her a confused look, before walking into the room. She hastily followed him, closing the door behind them.

She walked over to her seat, but Rudd cut her off. "No, we're just gonna go straight into the scene you two would be doing together.

"Elena, this is Damon. Damon, meet the girl who will be playing Nina."

Damon turned towards her and smirked, before shaking his head in surprise. "Well, it's nice to meet you Elena." He stuck out his hand, which she promptly shook, before nodding her head in reply.

"Okay," Rudd continued from his chair, "Let's just get this over with guys."

Elena stepped closer to him and looked up. She instantly felt something change in the air, as if there was an electric current running through it. Her palms felt sweaty, and she could barely get the first line out. "You and I…we have something."

Damon stepped closer and cupped her cheek. He whispered, "Tell me then Nina, what do we have?"

She stepped back hesitantly, as if she didn't actually want to. "We have a good… friendship. You're my best friend, you know that."

Damon shook his head, his eyes narrowing. "Don't give me this crap. There is something going on between us, something more than a 'friendship.'"

"Please," she pleaded, taking his hand. "You know I care about you." He turned his head away, but she grabbed him and pulled him closer. "I care about you, but I'm with Paul, I love Paul."

He smirked, but there was no humor in it. "You may love Paul, but you're not _in_ love with him. What we're doing, it _means_ something. Don't pretend it doesn't."

She signed, exasperated with the situation. "Stop, just stop Ian. I'm not doing this with you."

She turned away, but Damon grabbed her arm. She looked into his clear, blue eyes, and could _feel_ his pain. He leaned closer, so his lips were brushing hers. "You and I….? We are more than friends, and you know it."

They stood there, both breathing heavy. No one said anything. Elena felt light headed. She wanted to sit down, but she had to get something out of her system.

Reluctantly she tilted herself away from Damon, and said to Kevin. "I don't think I will be able to work with anyone but him. If you want anyone to play Ian, this is him."

Damon's eyes never left hers, not knowing what to think. Kevin slowly stood up, and walked over to Damon. He pushed forward his hand and said, "You've got the part."

Damon burst out laughing, happiness overwhelming him. "And I think I know the perfect guy to play Paul."

* * *

"I'm Nina, we have, history together." Elena smiled, and pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"I know," Stefan smiled, wow it was a great smile. "And English and French."

"Right." She said back. Her heart warmed up as she felt herself blush.

_This guy is great. I can't believe him and Damon are cousins. How can both be so handsome and talented?_

The audition between Damon and Stefan was, of course, amazing. The last thing to test was Stefan and Elena, and she knew he had the part. She could again feel the air buzzing, even if it wasn't as strong as it was with Damon.

After Stefan stayed behind to sign the appropriate contracts, she went into the hall. Damon was standing by the door, his eyebrows raised as she walked towards him.

She wanted to say something clever or funny, but Elena couldn't think of anything of that sort at that moment, so she just smiled and said, "He got the part."

"YES!" He cried, picking her up and twirling her around. She laughed and gave him a hug. Again, she could feel his bliss spilling out of him.

He pulled away and smirked, tucking another piece of hair behind her ear. "Elena, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship…or perhaps something even better."

* * *

_Just a "by the way" real quick, I'll be using some lines from the Vampire Diaries in this, and the "show" the Ghost Journals, is very similar to TVD, but the love triangle happens much faster in this "show" (so that Nina is with both Paul and Ian at the same time) haha kay? _

_Comments/Questions/Concerns/Ideas are much appreciated and encouraged please :D_


	3. Asses

Chapter 3: Asses

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand CUT! Awesome job guys!" Cried Mark, sitting on a tiny black folding chair from behind the cameras. They had just finished shooting the scene where Nina and Paul first met.

Elena had to run through a park until she stumbled and fell into the arms of Stefan. They gave each other longing looks, flirted, and then Stefan's character Paul mysteriously leaves. It seemed a little too familiar to Elena, but she was just happy they were finally shooting.

It took a week or two for everything to get down to order. After Damon and Stefan signed their contracts with The CW, they had to finish casting and find a location they could film at permanently. It was decided that a cute little town down south would suffice. So today was the first day of shooting, not just reading the scripts.

She was so nervous. Earlier that morning, when she was getting her hair down in her trailer (she actually got a trailer! She couldn't believe people still did that on sets!) she ran through her lines over and over again with her makeup/clothing/ hair stylist, Kiekie.

"I'm Nina," Elena said, as she paced back in forth in the tiny space. It was a pretty cool trailer, she had to admit it. There was a tiny, single person bed occupying one side, a TV that was angled in the center, and then the other side had a huge vanity where clothes and makeup were skewed everywhere.

She was wearing a simple tee and jeans, not yet dressed for the upcoming scene. Her script had been thrown on the floor not even five minutes beforehand. She constantly kept jumping lines, and skipping parts. She _had_ to get this down. People were already saying she couldn't do it. As she was browsing a gossip site the night before, she read an article saying that the "unknown" that was cast as Nina would be the reason why the show would most likely fail in the first year.

_I gotta do this. I have to prove that freakin jerk wrong. I'm trying dammit! _

Kiekie was amazing though. When she found Elena pissed off in her trailer, she said she would read the part of Paul so she could get some extra practice in. They decided to rehearse for twenty minutes, and the do her hair and makeup for the last forty minutes of the hour before shooting began.

But Elena still couldn't seem to get it down. It was so maddening! What was wrong with her?

"I'm Powel." Kiekei said, smacking her gum. Elena didn't even bother to correct her on the name. She turned to face her, and gave her best smile.

"I know, we have Chemistry together."

"And Spanish and Trig." Kiekie looked up, and raised one eyebrow. With her hand on her hip she asked, "Girl, is that seriously the best you got?"

"Ugh!" Elena sat down on the bed, kicking the script under her bed. "Why the hell can't I get this down _right_? I've acted before, but this, _this_ is so different. I _know_ I can do it. But once I step through there, they'll fire me for sure." She closed her eyes, and leaned back against the wall, slightly smacking her head against it.

"Listen to me, you're gonna open your eyes, and just go for it. At this point, what else do you have to lose? Hun, I saw your audition tape. It was freakin good. Your problem is that you're over thinking things. Become Nina, and think what she would be thinking in the scene. And Jesus, have fun! Have you seen the guys you'll be working with?" She used the script was a fan, blowing air in front of her face. "They're freakin smoking!"

Elena smirked. Damon and Stefan were pretty hot. She only had seen them one or twice since thy day they were cast. They wanted to fly home to get a few things before moving out here. She was excited to see them again, especially Damon.

She breathed in and sat up. "Can we do my hair and makeup and whatever else we need to do? I'm ready." She smiled timidly as Kiekie began to work on her.

She stepped out of the trailer forty minutes later feeling good. Feeling _damn_ good. The lot was composed of a lot of mini trailers in a huge parking lot, and then the sets and scenery were scattered around them. She knew she had to make her way over to lot number four, so as she walked she looked at all the people running around. Some of them she knew, like Rudd who as talking in a walkie-talkie, and Julie, who was on the phone. She gave a small wave to her before moving onto her destination.

She rounded the corner of one of the trailers, her mind wandering to breakfast.

_I guess I should have eaten something this morning. I don't know, I just was so nervous. Still am dammit. Okay Elena, listen up. You are gonna be Nina. You ARE Nina. Think her thoughts, dream her dreams, be-_

But as she became lost in her thoughts and rounded the corner, she didn't even realize she walked right into Stefan and Damon. Both were laughing, neither of them paying attention to where they were going either. They were each wearing jeans and a buttoned down shirt, but Damon had a leather jacket casually hanging off his slim, muscular frame.

"Oh, shit, sorry!" Elena half cried, trying to lean away, but instead causing herself to hit her head on the trailer behind her.

"Hmm, I wouldn't think you were one for curse words, Elena." Damon said smirking. He tapped his chin as Stefan reached out to steady her.

"What do you mean?" She asked, rubbing her head in annoyance.

_Of course the first day I see them I make a fool of myself. Figures though, right?_

"You just seem so, so, what's the word I'm looking for here Stefan? Oh, _innocent_ I suppose. Not someone to mutter vulgar sounds."

"I hardy think 'shit' is a really horrible word." She replied, becoming a little irritated.

"What I think my cousin in trying to say is that-" Stefan began, with an apologetic smile on his face.

"No, that's exactly what I mean." Damon raised both eyebrows at his cousin. "She seems rather naïve doesn't she? Very sheltered."

"I've seen plenty in the world." Elena said with her eyes narrowed. "And we only met once, how can even you form a fitting opinion of me?"

Somewhere in the distance she heard someone calling for her and Stefan over a megaphone. She was supposed to be there on the set, but her curiosity was becoming too much.

_What the hell did he mean?_

"First impressions always tell so much about a person. Fine, what did you think of me when we first met then?" Damon half smiled, challenging her to come up with a clever response.

_Hot, cool, dangerous, and good at chemistry. _Were the words buzzing in her mind, but she couldn't say that out loud.

She sighed and looked around. The lot had become less crowded, everyone heading over to lot four for the upcoming scene. Stefan was standing there clearly uncomfortable. His shoulders were tensed up, wanting to leave already.

Elena redirected her gaze at Damon, who simply looked down at his wrist and pretended to tap on a watch, indicating she was running out of time.

"You know what?" Elena began slowly, her eyes not leaving Damon's light blue, blinding ones. "I thought you were hot. I'll say it. I really don't care. But after talking to you now, I think you're an ass honestly."

Stefan's mouthed dropped open, as Damon just burst out laughing. She turned to Stefan and said coolly, "Let's go do our scene."

He nodded once and left, leaving Damon standing by himself, just shaking his head.

* * *

After Mark called cut, Elena just breathed a sigh of relief. She did it. She really did it. She remembered her lines, and gave a (hopefully) great performance. Her first day was over! And it was only…eleven o'clock at night.

She pushed her hand through her hair and walked over to the food table. Picking up a muffin, she looked around at everyone packing up the equipment and saying goodbye. Many waved to her and said she did an amazing job. She sheepishly smiled back and said thanks, her heart warming up to all these people.

"Hey!" Cried Bonnie, a girl who played her best friend on the show. Elena and her had laughed many times throughout the day, mostly about their jokes they pulled on Stefan. "I was just talking to Stefan, and we thought maybe a few of us could go out to eat and maybe hang out to get to know each other a little better. You gotta come!"

"I really want to, that sounds awesome, I'm just so tired Bonnie…." Elena started to say.

"Come on, we all are gonna be working together everyday, don't you think we should bond a little? Pleaseeeeeeeeeee!" Bonnie pretended to pout, causing Elena to giggle.

"Fine, fine, fineeeee. You're right. We should all get to know each other better!" Elena smiled, excitement starting to course through her veins. She knew it might sound stupid, but after only one day she felt a connection with most of the cast and crew. Everybody wanted the show to do well, so everyone had each other's best interests at heart.

"Yay! Hmm so I was thinking-" Bonnie began, but she looked over Elena's shoulder and waved to someone behind her and cried out. "Hey! Did you hear? We're all going out! Wanna come?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the freakin world…right Elena?" Replied a velvet voice from behind her.

_NO way…._

Elena twisted around, her teeth clenched. Damon was walking over to her, his head cocked to the side. "Unless, you don't want me there?" His eyes went wide, imitating a puppy dog look.

Bonnie laughed and said, "Of course she wants you there! Neither of us have had any scenes with you yet, so you gotta come!"

"Perfect!" Damon perked up and draped his arm around Elena. "This should be fun."

* * *

They were at a huge restaurant that also served as a club. Everyone was having a great time. They sat at a huge round table, and all shared stories about their childhood, various embarrassing moments, and why they wanted to be an actor. Elena sat next to Stefan and Bonnie, and sadly across from Damon. Stefan and her chatted for a while, simply talking and enjoying each other's company. She found him so nice and sweet. Everyone, but Damon, was great. She could feel herself becoming fast friends with them as they all exchanged numbers so they could text whenever. She tried to say her number low, so Damon wouldn't hear, but she saw him type it into his phone along with everyone else. She silently cursed herself for that mistake.

After a while though, most people waned to get up and dance, but Elena, who hadn't eaten in hours, wanted to finish her meal.

"Do you wanna dance?" Stefan asked, holding out his hand towards her. He had changed into black jeans and black, tight sweater. His lopsided grin made her heart beat faster, but she declined.

"Definitely later, but I'm still so hungry! You get warmed up out there, and I'll join you soon, kay?" Elena smiled up at him, but she could see his face fall before walking away after Bonnie.

She shrugged her shoulders. _I really shouldn't get involved with anyone here. If it turns sour, our work relationship will be ruined. Stefan is really nice and cute though…._

"Elena Gilbert, breaking hearts everywhere she goes." She hadn't even realized Damon was the only one left at the table with her. She put down her fork, and glared.

"Your cousin doesn't even 'like' me, he was just being polite."

"That's what you call his longing stares at you all night? I knew you were naïve." He smirked and reached over the table with his own fork, stabbing a piece of her chicken and eating it. She moved her plate away from his reach and narrowed her eyes. Unlike everyone else, he was the only one who hadn't changed out of his "work" clothes. Regardless, every female in the place couldn't keep her eyes off him.

"Don't eat my food." She muttered. She took a big bite of chicken and chewed it slowly. "Wow, this is _amazing_." She said dramatically to annoy him. Damon rolled his eyes, but the corners of his lips were pointed up.

"Did you order the dessert Miss?" Asked the waiter, as he carried over a huge chocolate chip ice-cream sundae.

"Hell yea." She said and smiled up at him. He placed it right in front of her, and before he even fully left, she dug in. She couldn't help but smirk at how Damon was nearly drooling staring at it.

Breathing out a sigh, she almost felt bad. Almost. But after another spoonful she couldn't take it, and stated simply, "Go ahead, dig it."

He didn't need to be told twice. They both devoured it in a minute. When the waiter walked by, he literally stopped in his tracks; shocked that they had finished it so quickly. The second he took it away they both burst out laughing.

"I didn't know you could eat so well." Damon said, leaning back in his seat.

"Is that another insult?" She replied, yawning. She rubbed her eyes, sort of regretting she ate that so fast.

"Not this time. I hate how girls never eat. Never. You see half the cast tonight? They all ordered a salad without dressing and didn't even finish that. Now _that's_ sad." He shook his head, looking down at the table.

Elena chuckled. "I felt like a loser when I ordered the chicken Parmesan. I thought the looks they gave me would kill me right then and there."

He smirked and rolled his eyes. "Tell me about it."

What was this? Were they actually having a regular conversation? Perhaps he wasn't as bad as she had initially thought….

"So does the lovely Miss Elena wanna dance? Or is she too nervous that she'll be wowed by my beauty the second we get out there, and trip over herself?"

Never mind, he was still an ass.

"I wouldn't mind dancing, but I don't think with _you_." She got up, and brushed off her dress. She had changed into a pretty red strapless one that almost went down to her knees. She saw a couple of people stare at her as she pushed in her chair, but it was probably because she had just eaten that big meal.

Damon raised his eyebrows as he stood up too. "Now, honestly, no one can resist my charms."

"Watch me." She mumbled, walking over to the pulsing lights and loud music. She quickly found the rest of the cast and started to move back and forth to the beat on the dance floor.

She tried to get lost in the music, but the problems with her family, her new, scary, job, and even Damon, swirled around in her mind. Just as she was possibly going to get lost in the music, she felt two hands groping her hips.

She tensed up and whipped around. A drunk guy with long, greasy hair was an inch away from her face. "Wanna dance baby? You've got a niceee ass." He pushed up against her, causing her to stumble.

"No _thank you."_ She tried to say coolly, walking away, but he grabbed her wrist with a bruising force, and pulled her back.

"Come on now baby, I know you want some of this." The stench of alcohol was overbearing. She gagged and pushed him away.

"Get the hell off me." She hissed, but he held onto her wrist. She could feel the pressure building there, her teeth locked in pain. "LET GO-"

Suddenly the guy was on the ground. Damon was standing over him, his fists clenched. "Don't you ever, ever touch her again. Got it? Or next time you won't walk away jackass…."

"I was just trying to have some fun maaaaan." The guy slurred, clumsily getting up and rubbing his back.

Elena massaged her sore wrist, as she stared at Damon. It was hard to hear over the music, but she said, "I could have handled that myself."

Damon opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off. "But thank you. Thanks." She shrugged her shoulders, giving him a half smile.

He nodded once and moved closer to her. "Do you want to dance now?"

She tilted her head and nodded back. Surprising, a slower song came on, and as they swayed to the music, their bodies barely touching, she finally let go everything, and got lost in the warmth of the moment.

* * *

_Comments/Questions/Opinions are always appreciated! _

_Do you guys like where this is going? Let me know please!_


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